Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus walks the dugout against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning in Detroit on April 2.AP Photo

DETROIT -- Tigers manager Brad Ausmus remains a strong supporter of the expansion of instant replay in baseball, but admitted Saturday that it's still far from perfect.

Ausmus offered his early evaluation of instant replay through the first three weeks of the season, telling reporters that Major League Baseball needs to "clean up" a couple rules.

"There have certainly been some calls that have completely baffled me," Ausmus said. "I don't understand what they're seeing or what they're looking at."

The transfer rule seems to lead Ausmus' list of personal gripes, and probably for good reason. The Tigers' first-year manager lost a challenge earlier in the season that called into question officials' interpretation of what constitutes a catch.

The replay in question occurred in the Tigers' 10-4 win over the Orioles on April 4 when shortstop Andrew Romine dropped a ball as he transferred it from his glove to his throwing hand in an attempt to turn a double play in the fifth inning.

Both runners were were ruled safe, rather than the runner at second being called out.

"There's just got to be a period of time when it's in the glove that it's no longer considered a dropped ball," Ausmus said Saturday.

Ausmus challenged the call, claiming Romine had "completed" the catch. Officials reviewed the play, but the call was upheld.

Ausmus has since exchanged texts with Joe Torre, Major League Baseball’s executive vice president of baseball operations, but he's still unclear why the call wasn't overturned.

"The one thing we've learned is the whole transfer thing isn't going to play out the way most people had expected," Ausmus said. "So we'll be a little more judicious in deciding whether to challenge a ball that's dropped.

"I don't think there's a definitive answer as to what play is going to be considered a dropped ball, and a ball that's dropped on the exchange. Those are some of the plays that have been baffling to me."

Major League Baseball released a statement last week in an effort to better clarify the rule. It reads as follows:

"Umpires and/or replay officials must consider whether the fielder had secured possession of the ball but dropped it during the act of the catch. An example of a catch that would not count is if a fielder loses possession of the ball during the transfer before the ball was secured by his throwing hand."

Ultimately, the rule requires players to keep a ball secured while transferring it from their glove to their bare hand, according to Major League Baseball. It's a strict enforcement that has Ausmus concerned.

"To me, it's gone way too far," he said. "There has to be a period of time when the ball is in your glove that it's considered controlled.

"I think that applies to the Romine play. He had caught the ball, touched the base, removed himself from the base, turned his glove towards his body to make the exchange. Which tells me: If he has the ball in hand, turning the glove, he has control of it, or it would've fallen out right there."

For now, and likely for the foreseeable future, it appears there will be a grey area as to how the catch-and-transfer play will be applied.